6 Years Before
"H-hey, good morning."
"Oh, you 're early today."
"Yeah, couldn't sleep. I'll have the usual."
"Alrighty, though all this sugar might not be good for sleep lol."
"With your handiwork? Worth every all-nighter."
"Flattery will get you everywhere. Speaking of, thanks for last week, it meant a lot."
"I didn't even stop him, though, you lost your bag."
"That doesn't matter; it's the thought that counts no?"
"I guess so."
45 Minutes After
The buzzing lights of your cell irritate you more than usual.
You feel the assortment of games & movies around you staring at you're soul, the manga in your hands a dirty reminder of all the time you’ve spent here. As you flip over to the next page in that mechanical, fake rhythm you’ve been honing for the past half hour, everything begins to settle in. It could happen any minute, it’s almost happened a couple of times, a glance from a researcher here, a few whispers from the guards there. The grey analog clock right above your cell hangs like an eye, its monotone ticks a symbol of the inevitable.
Regardless, that wasn’t what bothered you most. They were gonna find out eventually and you knew it, the task force knew it, the researchers probably knew it. So it was an unfounded worry at some level.
What bothered you most was his goodbye….or the lack of one.
There was no speech, no reassurance, nothing about what you were supposed to do now, not even any knowledge about what happened to all the souls. One moment it was just another boring mission at the mall, the next, Hanzo was gone.
One Hour After
The doors to your cell opened as familiar footsteps burst through. You immediately drop the manga, turning to face the man as the banging of your chest comes to a breaking point.
"OHAYOU, TRENTON SAN!!!" You blurt out, trying to recapture a sense of your usual mental state for whatever reason.
"Good evening Damien. I heard your last mission ended early, everything alright?" The doctor said, carefully sitting down on the nearby chair.
"We manage doc. I have to give credit to the new guy, Jayden I think? He works well with Brendon & Brandon and surprisingly pulled his weight during the Azeroth run back."
"The what?"
"We give names to the mall demons. How did you not know that?"
"I have a lot more responsibilities than you’d think, Damien."
"So how come you’re here now? We haven’t done a proper interview in like… years?" You readjust yourself in the bed, placing a pillow on your lap.
"Nothing crazy really, ethics is planning some inter-site icebreaker program among humanoids. Wanted to get your opinion."
"And what does that have to do with me though?" You gulp.
"Despite your apprehension for meeting with Alpha-9, as well as your nature as a person of interest, you’ve been well acquainted with more than a few anomalies, and so you basically count as one when it comes to events like this."
"I don’t have much to say, not into that kinda stuff, too much high school reunion energy ya know?”
"Don’t be like that! You had great fun with the Specter a couple months back, no?”
"That’s different! He was cool and he liked me, so I liked him. That’s all ."
"I’m sure the others in the program will too."
"I dunno."
The doctor's swift response was drowned in your mind out by the grey clock.
You wondered how long you’d continue to talk like this? How long Trenton the doctor plans to string you along. They had to know by now after all, you’d seen just how observant and meticulous they were, surely they knew.
You feel the sinking dread in your chest fully realize.
You exhale.
"Earth to Damien?"
"You already know, don’t you?"
Trenton cocks his head. "Know what?"
"That he’s gone."
"Who’s gone?"
"Hanzo.”
Trenton gives a blank stare, only a single sentence escaping from his wide open mouth his mind filling up with a thousand questions.
"Did he say anything?"
"No." A drop of sweat runs across your cheek.
"I see… do you have any requests?"
"I don’t want to forget this."
3 Hours After
The preparations went by faster than expected. Trenton did all the paperwork, and slid a couple thousand bucks in your pocket. It was really just enough to get on your feet, but it would do for now.
As for the goodbyes, there wasn't much to it. The team could handle themselves and didn't really need you to drag them down. Apart from that, there was nobody here to really miss you.
And perhaps that was for the best.
4 Hours After
You take another swig of the bottle, the last droplets of beer gathering at the bottom of the glass. Drinking wasn't exactly an easy thing to do at the Foundation, especially not as an active agent. Yet now you were about a gallon in and going strong. Whether or not that was due to the inherent melancholy of your situation or the sense of freedom you felt after you left wasn't clear to you.
What was clear to you was that you became an adult in the Foundation and you hated it.
Just when you were about to drown away those worries by calling over another bottle a
burly hand bats away yours and slams itself on the bar table.
As you look at the owner of the hand, a smile slowly begins to creep across you're face.
"WHO THE HELL RAISES THEIR HAND FOR A BEER, DAMMIT? WHAT ARE YOU, A SISSY!?"
"Just making good on ‘YOUR‘ promise."
"I TOLD YOU TO REACH OUT! NEVER SAID I WOULD MYSELF! YOU KNOW LONG THERAPY TAKES?"
"Umm, no?"
"ABOUT AS MUCH TIME AS IT TAKES FOR ANY CHICKEN SHIT EATIN BEETLE TO LAY A FINGER ON ROCKY, SO INFINITY!"
"Rocky?"
"MY ASS BLASTIN PUSSY POUNDIN DIVINE HERCULES BEETLE, DUH!"
"Cool."
"FORGET ABOUT ROCKY DAMMIT! THE HELL ARE YOU DOIN WITH THAT STUPID LOOK? ANY MAN THAT WOUNDS ME BETTER NOT BITCH OUT OVER NO BEER!"
"It's complicated. I'm not with the Foundation anymore though."
"WELL DAMN SON, FINALLY INDERPENTANT EH?"
"Yeah, independent. Never feels that way though, I lost my friends, my family, my teacher, everything and they think some corporate loose change and a pat on the back will make me move on?"
"FUCK THEIR MONEY KIDDO, NOW MY THERAPIST SAID THAT I SHOULDN’T JUDGE OTHERS OVER THEIR SITUATIONS OR ANYTHING, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAVE SOME DEEP SHIT TO DEAL WITH."
"I guess I do."
"WELL THAT'S THE THING WITH SHIT, IT NEVER COMES OF EASY BUT SOMETIMES YOU GOTTA PLUNGE YA HANDS IN IT DEEP JUST TO STAY AFLOAT."
Six Hours After
You take a deep breath as the world you once knew comes into view. The road was irritatingly long, but the familiar air of Scranton made it all worth it. Despite all the time you’d spent away it only felt like a day had passed, the park near you’re house, the thrift store you got all you’re clothes from, that guy down the street who first introduced you to anime you could gloat about the place all day long.
But after hearing the signature sound of its door, the only place that mattered in that instant was your favorite Auntie Anne’s.
You swallow, and pull on the handle only to be met by a face that almost made you pass out right then and there. Running up to the counter like a lost puppy you muster up your most genuine smile.
"HI EM-
You freeze.
"Oh, good afternoon sir, we were just closing up."
You gulp.
"Oh yea sorry, can I get something?"
"Sure I can do one more for the day, beats pulling boxes all day!" She says looking towards the storage room behind her.
"I’d like the u-usu-"
"Hmm?"
"Oh sorry, one cinnamon sugar bucket please."
"I am so sorry but we don't carry those anymore, supply & demand is bullshit huh? And well this location isn't exactly the most in demand, lol."
"It happens, I'll just get a pretzel dog package."
"Coming right up! Sorry about the cinnamon sugar tho, it's an 'og' item if you will. Thought only the old regulars knew."
"No no, thank you anyway. It's the thought that counts."
As you walk out of the door pretzels in hand you spot the storage door open to another man coming in to hug Emily.
The road home is long, and there is nothing to be said.
3 Years After
You scarf down the last piece of sashimi on your plate before handing it off to the chef. Japan was an experience to be sure, you had always wanted to go there otaku bias aside, and thought you’d show Hanzo around learn something at least. Of course, living in another country has its challenges, you'd picked up around 6 or 7 jobs just to afford the ticket, and never thought learning the language would be as hard as it was.
But alas, you survived. You’d teach English at elementary schools, help around at dojos, and even show off your circus tricks cool knife skills to the masses.
Even after all that, nothing really seemed to "click" after Hanzo left, whether it be resumes or relationships. You felt nothing seeing all the bright lights of Tokyo, and almost vomited out your first plate of sushi. Your soul itself felt foreign to the body it inhabit-
"Hey, kid!" A voice in front of shouted out.
"You gonna sulk all night or what? Are my techniques too depressing for you? Who else do you think I perform for this late, ehh?"
"E-excuse me?"
"You heard me brat! I'll give you credit, someone like you coming to my secret restaurant is quite the accomplishment, but I've never met such an unenthusiastic spinner in my life!"
"What are you on about man? Sorry, I'm sure you're a skilled chef and all Mister….Y-yammy? But the sushi here is kinda disappointing."
The man recoils in you're obvious misreading of his nametag and slams a nearby dohyō in front of you.
"SO THAT'S HOW IT'S GONNA BE?……"
"VERY WELL BRAT, LET’S SPIN SOME SUSHI!"
"Deep shit indeed." You think to yourself.